[Review] Peranakan Eurasian Delights at The Peranakan
Recently, we returned to The Peranakan to check out some of their new offerings and also to satiate that lust for Peranakan food.
The Peranakan
Peranakan food is just so unique to our culture as a Singaporean/ Southeast Asian and certainly represents our identity and lineage of where we come from and what we represent. I guess it’s because of our strong spiritual and traditional connections to food, having eaten the food specially cooked by my grandmother.
After an expedition tasting all the gourmet food and different cuisines around cosmopolitan Singapore, we always end up coming back to find comfort and joy in this hearty Peranakan food.
As they say Home is where the heart is, we think that this is no further from the truth. We are indeed very blessed to have The Peranakan, located at Claymore Connect in Orchard, continue preserving our food traditions and cultural identity.
Not many restaurants and chefs do Peranakan food well these days because, behind the scenes, we know it’s a lot of hard work and tender loving care.
Food created from the heart, to nourish the mind, body and soul and also to remind us of our rich cultural heritage involves a substantial amount of hard work in the kitchen. And that’s why it is always heartening to know that The Peranakan continues to preserve the authenticity and traditions of our culture by taking no short cuts in the preparation of the food.
Kamcheng Peranakan Festival 2019
The Peranakan restaurant celebrates its 3rd annual edition of the Kamcheng Peranakan Festival this year. This year’s edition sees the debut of the Peranakan Food Festival which includes key highlights such as the Eurasian Peranakan dinners, wine-pairing menus, and various workshops.
In particular, the Eurasian Peranakan dinners (S$45++/pax), available every Sunday from now till 14 July 2019, features a selection of
well-known culinary delights from both Peranakan and Eurasian cuisine
prepared by Chef Lionel Chee who is also Singapore's first food guide. A
chat with him revealed how passionate and knowledgeable he is about
our local food heritage and the global food history.
The menu is rotated every week, so diners get to try different Peranakan and Eurasian dishes. Peranakan delights include Kachang Botol Salad, Itek Sio and Ayam Buah Keluak, while key Eurasian highlights include Devil’s Curry and Potato Cutlet.
Eurasian Peranakan Cuisine (& Our Recommendations)
With great anticipation, we tried out the Eurasian Peranakan menu. We learnt that all the ingredients were natural, so all flavours came from the various ingredients and spices (not even curry powder was used) - and of course no MSG. Below are some highlights:
Eurasian Delights:
1) Pork Vindaloo
2) Potato Cutlet (Hand-mashed potatoes seasoned with spices such as garlic and black peppercorns, and shallow-fried over a low fire after at least 6 hours in the freezer)
2) Potato Cutlet (Hand-mashed potatoes seasoned with spices such as garlic and black peppercorns, and shallow-fried over a low fire after at least 6 hours in the freezer)
3) Beef Semor (More than 20 Indian spices were used, e.g. fennel seeds and cumin)
4) Devil's Curry
Think
you can handle any level of spiciness? Love spicy food and want to try
something unique? Then you definitely have to try the Devil's Curry, a dish encapsulates the
global footprint of the Portuguese voyageur and consists of a medley of ingredients including sausage, cabbage and
potatoes.
Unlike other types of spicy food where the spiciness goes away after a while, this one was just so intense. The black mustard seeds, together with chilli, totally elevated this dish to the pinnacle of the spiciness index.
Unlike other types of spicy food where the spiciness goes away after a while, this one was just so intense. The black mustard seeds, together with chilli, totally elevated this dish to the pinnacle of the spiciness index.
Peranakan Delights:
1) Sambal Belachan with Belimbeng
2) Stuffed Towpok
3) Kachang Botol Salad (Thinly-sliced wing beans tossed with hae bee, ginger flower, and lime juice)
4) Ayam Buah Keluak
If there is any one quintessential dish that tourists should not miss
in Singapore, it’s the Ayam Buah Keluak. Looks can be deceiving, but it is
actually very rich in flavour. For those who are trying this for the
first time, they may not find this appealing due to its appearance. But
those who do, are rewarded with its distinctive taste with rich
flavours.
It
has such a distinctive taste and earthy
texture that no words would do justice to describe this nut. It’s like a
prized possession, one where you savour every last bit. We
compared the Buah Keluak here to that of other dining establishments,
but found this one to be so much more superior and refined that we had
to ask the Chef what is his secret. And really, it’s just the tender
loving care and effort in terms of the preparation.
Apparently, each nut is soaked in water and cleaned individually daily for 5 days, changing water twice a day. On the 5th day, it goes into boiling water for final cleaning. Once cooked, an opening is made and the contents are taken out to be blended smooth. The texture may feel a little coarse, so it has to be made smooth into a paste like form. It is also cooked with a special rempah paste consisting of shallots, blue ginger, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, turneric, candlenut, belachan (shrimp paste) and dried chilli.
Apparently, each nut is soaked in water and cleaned individually daily for 5 days, changing water twice a day. On the 5th day, it goes into boiling water for final cleaning. Once cooked, an opening is made and the contents are taken out to be blended smooth. The texture may feel a little coarse, so it has to be made smooth into a paste like form. It is also cooked with a special rempah paste consisting of shallots, blue ginger, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, turneric, candlenut, belachan (shrimp paste) and dried chilli.
Desserts
As if we were not already won over by the main dishes, we were again
courted by a beautiful display of the desserts. The creative
presentation of pandan leaves in the glass pot of gula melaka (a
Malaccan brown sugar) definitely deserved extra credits. Definitely Instagram worthy!
Desserts served include Apom Bakwa with Pisang Pengat, Pulot Enti Kelapa, Pulot Enti Durian and Pineapple Tart. My favourite was the Durian Pengat made from premium D24 durian.
Delightfully creamy and rich, this is a must-try for all durian lovers.
We savoured the desserts over sips of Lemongrass and Pandan Tea, simply shiok.
Feauturing many carefully curated cultural pieces of the yesteryears, it was as though we were transported back in time. The gallery houses various heritage collections from daily dining ware and embroidered blouses to intricate gold/ wedding jewellery.
With the national Peranakan Museum currently closed for restoration works, this is definitely the next best place I would bring my tourist friends to!
We savoured the desserts over sips of Lemongrass and Pandan Tea, simply shiok.
The Peranakan Gallery
We completed our cultural immersion with a visit to the restaurant's gallery next door (complimentary for all diners).Feauturing many carefully curated cultural pieces of the yesteryears, it was as though we were transported back in time. The gallery houses various heritage collections from daily dining ware and embroidered blouses to intricate gold/ wedding jewellery.
With the national Peranakan Museum currently closed for restoration works, this is definitely the next best place I would bring my tourist friends to!
The Peranakan
442 Orchard Road
Level 2 Claymore Connect
Singapore 238879
Level 2 Claymore Connect
Singapore 238879
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